The Doctor Zhivago actor Omar Sharif has denied rumours that he has converted to Kabbalah and is no longer a Muslim.

A spokesman for the star of Lawrence of Arabia said the claim, made in an Egyptian newspaper, that he had adopted the form of Jewish mysticism had no truth to it.

It would have been a second conversion for Mr Sharif, who grew up as a Catholic but adopted Islam when he married an Egyptian actress.

But his spokeswoman, Inas Bakr, put an end to the speculation. She said: "I have been hearing these rumours for a while and I have no idea what their source is, but they are not true and he is not thinking of converting at all."

Kabbalah is known for its popularity with celebrities, with Madonna and Demi Moore both claiming to follow it.